Roast Carrot Dip Spiced With Chilli Oil

The day I made this roast carrot dip I posted it on instagram. My friend Clinton had one word to say about it – why. Well, the answer to that is because I had carrots that needed using up, and a dip that needed making!

Dave and I tend to go overseas out of peak season. This means cheaper hotels and fewer people, but it can also mean colder weather. Most of the places we stay in have really good heating, and some have heated towel rails. Very often the heated towel rail provides enough warmth that we don’t need any other source to keep the temperature up. When we designed our bathroom this was one of the must have features. We chose a towel rail that is long and straight so that we could hang our towels over it side by side. This winter I decided to turn it on as soon as the cold weather descended on Gordons Bay. I left it on the entire winter, turning it off for the first time when we went overseas.

Not only did it keep our towels nice and dry and warm, it kept our bathroom heated. This is quite a plus as we have a completely open plan and double volume home. The week we went on leave we woke up later than usual. The first morning I went into the bathroom to shower and as I picked up my towel I felt that it was warm to the touch. I could not imagine anyone had turned the heater on but checked the switch to make sure. It was only after I checked that I realized that the sun had warmed the towels. I was amazed at how much heat had been generated in only a few hours from the sun. So tell me, do you have a heated towel rail and do you use it to heat your bathroom as well as your towels?

Place the carrots into an oven proof dish and drizzle generously with the olive oil

Season generously and then scatter the bay leaves, rosemary stalks and garlic cloves on top of the carrots

Bake for 35 minutes and then remove from the oven

Allow to cool to room temperature and then place into a blender

Squeeze the garlic out of the paper into the blender and add the crème fraîche and chilli oil

Blitz until smooth and adjust the seasoning before serving

3.5.3251

Dave and I are midway through our December holidays. I will pop into my blog every now and then to read and reply to comments. Yesterday was Scarlett’s third birthday. Our Boxer has brought so much joy to our lives!

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Published by Tandy

I am passionate about using regional, seasonable and sustainable produce when I cook. I live in Gordons Bay with my husband and dogs. Dave and I are busy building a house which is an adventure all in itself. Each year we visit a new place overseas to experience the food of the area. Follow along on our adventures!
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14 thoughts on “Roast Carrot Dip Spiced With Chilli Oil”

We have one heated towel rack in our “cabin up north.” I never thought about just leaving it on to make the bathroom cozy. Genius! Love the dip too. We get so many carrots from our CSAs that I always need new recipes!

Living here in the Alps in France now the bestest thing in winter is a hot towel from a heated rack when you come out the shower and I warm my PJ’s on the oil radiator.. Always puts a smile on my face.. 😉

I think the dip sounds lovely, Tandy. We have a heated towel rail and underfloor heating in our bathroom. We use the rail just to dry our towels and the underfloor for heating the room. It is expensive otherwise.

Tandy, all I have to say to your friend Clinton is “WHY NOT!” Your carrot dip sounds fantastic to me, but then I love carrots. We have heated towel racks in both bathrooms, but we need additional heat in the winter. We actually leave them on all the time except when we’re away on holidays.